| When most people think of
recycling, they don’t think of Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) rechargeable batteries. A
survey found that consumers are throwing their rechargeable batteries away (40%) or
leaving them in the dark recesses of their desk drawers at home or the office - unaware
that Ni-Cd batteries can and should be recycled. According to the survey, consumers have
an average of five dead rechargeable batteries lying around the house. The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) is on a campaign to
change consumers’ battery habits. RBRC launches April 26th as "Battery Check
Day," an international environmental initiative to encourage consumers to search
their homes, offices and garages for Ni-Cd batteries that either need recharging or
recycling. Ni-Cd batteries power everything from cordless and cellular phones to power
tools to camcorders.
"Most people don’t know what to do with those used Ni-Cd
batteries in their desk drawer or those left in products because they no longer hold a
charge," said Ralph Millard, Executive Vice President of RBRC. "Through Battery
Check Day, we hope to show consumers that they can help protect the environment and avoid
a mishap because they forgot to recharge the camcorder battery before their
vacation."
Consumers with used Ni-Cd batteries simply call 1-800-8-BATTERY or
click on the Big Al photo to find the nearest retail site or recycling center among the
25,000 participating in Battery Check Day nationwide. National retailers participating
include ACE Hardware, Ameritech, Batteries Plus, BellSouth Cellular, BLACK&DECKER, Car
Phone Store, Cellular One, Circuit City, Radio Shack, Sears, Target, and WAL-MART.
RBRC’s website www.rbrc.org. |